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Major ocean database that will guide deep-sea mining has flaws, scientists warn

As sea-bed mining looms, researchers say better records of sea-floor biodiversity are needed to assess its environmental impact.
  1. Natasha Gilbert
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A company is expected to request authorization in July, for the first time ever, to mine the ocean floor for metals such as cobalt and nickel. At the same time, researchers warn that a crucial database that maps deep-sea biodiversity and that could factor into the decision to approve such a licence contains errors and data gaps.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-01303-7

References

  1. Rabone, M. et al. Database 2023, baad013 (2023).

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  2. Rabone, M. et al. Curr. Biol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.052 (2023).

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